The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
The Church.
OUR DUTY AS TO MEMBERSHIP.
BY REV. FLORENCE E. KoLLoCK.
(Englewood, Ill

versalist church has been waged mainly
in the defensive. 1t has been largely
a struggle for survival against the al
most overwhelming forces brought to
bear against it by the dominant church.
To declare the doctrines Of Universal
ism, to expound them, defend them,
and get them before the people, as we
we'll understand, has engaged to large
extent the time and talent of our most
jealous and gifted ministry. How well
the work has been done we will never
fully realize. Only roll-call in every
church in Christendom,in which the soul
in the presence of its God would
answer the question, "What believest
thou of me ?'' could determine the
thoroughness with which this work has
been prosecuted.
To large extent, especially in the
great centers Of civilization, the neces-
ksity for this controversial and expos
kitory preaching has somewhat abated-
not wholly, nor ever will. Still, in
general way, the Universalist church is
accorded by common consent a place
and work among the powers that make
for righteousness. To every Universal
list church thus relieved of the necessity
of expanding it's best powers in con-
tending for its right of recognition as a
Christian body there is open and made
possible, through the general recog-
milton of its Christian character, the
largest field of usefulness upon which
the church of Christ can enter, for the
good of the individual and the spread
of the truth. Nothing so promotes these
ends as does that advance movement
from the letter toward the spirit that
is setting in throughout our denomina-
ton. Where the strictly religious work
of our church has been fully inaugur-
ated, it has gained in influence and
number; it has silenced the intoler-
ance of the bigoted and commanded the
respect of even the most prejudiced to
surprising extent.
To establish the rational and beauti-
full tenets of Universalism, as the facts
of revelation was the first work of the
ministry. Through trial and persecu
tion this has been in the main accom-
plished. To demonstrate in the daily
lives of the believers the power and the
blessedness of this truth, comes as the
natural development of the vital truth
in the established order of the progress
of religious ideas.
That the bringing of the believers of
the faith into the close and sacred rela-
tionship of church members is one of
the most important features of the
work of the Universalist ministry, we
unhesitatingly affirm. To rest satisfied
with any result less than this is-to
fall short of the requirements of the
times, and to ignore the highest oppor-
tunity of the ministry. 1t is not enough
to fill the pews with listeners to win an
intellectual acceptance Of the doctrines.
The work must go further; the truth
must take deeper root, or the desired
results-the sure, strong spread of the
truth, the deep, rich soulexperience-
will ever be wanting, though the pulpit
ministration be of the most brilliant and
attractive character;-yes, logical, earn
est and inspiring all this and more, even
will fail to accomplish for the individ-
ual, and for the truth, what will be
achieved by the awakening in the hearts
of the listeners tender, fervent love of
a religious home; desire for one &C
companied with that sense of loyalty to
the faith that makes the taking of the
name and the VOW a sacred privilege.
There are many reasons why this
question of church membership should
be brought to the attention of our peo-
pie.
First among these we would indicate,
is the fact that, however little impor-
lance we may be inclined to attach to
numbers, and however much we may
pride ourselves upon the quality, rather
than quantity of those accepting our
faith, it is fact that the conservative
church is not estimating our growth
upon any such basis, but still adheres
to the old fashioned numerical method
of estimating our strength. The recent
controversy at Rockford, ILL.,, shows
how eagerly statistics are searched with
the hope of finding in them an argu-
ment to prove the decline of Universal
ism. To such an extent do they de-
pend upon numbers as the criterion
of our prosperity, that as the editor of
THE UNIvERsALIsT has recently shown
US, the leading organ of the orthodox
church has 'assiduously circulated sta
tistics which help all who are unfriendly
to our church, and who desire to wit
ness the disintegration of the Universal
ist body" So tenaciously do they cling
to these disappearing figures, that
up to date they have not manifested
the grace or honesty to notice DIR. Dem
arest's explanation, which puts the mat
ter in quite another light from that in
which it appears in the Independent, and